Ice dam risk in Kendallville, IN
How often ice dams form in Kendallville
13.4 dam days a winter
Moderate risk. On an ordinary house in Kendallville, conditions for an ice dam come on about 13.4 days in a normal winter, mostly in January and February.
Kendallville averages 30 inches of snow a year and about 41 days with snow on the ground. Most of it comes and goes within a few days. The conditions that make a dam need all three at once: snow, cold at the eave and heat above it.
What your attic does to that number in Kendallville
| Attic | Dam days | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Air-sealed and well insulated | 6.5 | Moderate |
| Typical, some insulation, not air-sealed | 13.4 | Moderate |
| Older or poorly insulated, warm attic | 21.9 | High |
Sealing and insulating a typical attic takes out about 6.8 days a winter here. It does not move the risk band, but it shortens every dam. An older house with a warm attic should expect closer to 21.9 days.
What to do about ice dams in Kendallville
- Air-seal the attic floor: the gaps around the hatch, light fixtures, plumbing stacks and the top plates of interior walls. This is the fix that removes the cause, and it usually costs less than a season of contractor ice removal.
- Rake the bottom three or four feet of roof after any storm that leaves more than about six inches, from the ground with a roof rake.
Which to spend on first: air sealing or heat cable.
Kendallville winter, month by month
| Month | Snow (in) | Days on ground | Dam days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.9 | 14.7 | 5.5 |
| February | 10.2 | 14.1 | 4.7 |
| March | 3.6 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
| April | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| December | 5.3 | 7.1 | 2.1 |
Kendallville next to nearby towns
Kendallville ranks 24 of 88 Indiana cities here for ice-dam days, behind Plymouth at 15.9 days.
- Auburn, IN 12 mi, 12.0 days
- Huntertown, IN 16 mi, 12.0 days
- Columbia City, IN 22 mi, 15.4 days
- Fort Wayne, IN 25 mi, 11.4 days
- Sturgis, MI 26 mi, 18.7 days
Where these numbers come from
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals from Garrett, 9.7 miles from Kendallville. A dam day is a day with snow on the roof and freezing at the eave while heat or sun melts the snow above it. This describes a normal winter, not this one.